All I have: Two months
by Ayadin
Summary: Kagome has cancer and only two months to live. Stranded in the fuedal era she is given a chance to live. Can she save herself, or will she die in Inuyasha's arms? COMPLETE!
1. 2 Months

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Inuyasha**

**Authors Note: I am going to post quotes and sayings from my favorite pieces of poetry at the beginning. A lot of the stuff you may not recognize, but who knows you may know some of it. If you like this, I would appreciate it if you would review. If you have any quotes that you think would go well with it, please show them to me in the review section. I'd be glad to use some. Well, read on and please REVIEW!**

_**Chapter One: 2 months**_

'_**That's not news, Nothings news, it's the same old thing in disguise.'**_

**_-The Last Song Charles Bukowski_**

Kagome's mother burst into tears. Kagome just sat there, empty. The doctor had decided it was best if Kagome stayed outside for a minute. He wanted to explain the particulars to Hanae. Kagome already heard. She already knew. Still, she didn't want to believe it. INUYASHA! The name rang out in her mind. 'Of course!' she thought. 'Inuyasha will protect me. He promised. He'll make everything ok.' With that thought, she ran out of the doctor's office and back to her house, back to the well.

"No, Kagome won't take chemo. She'll rather go without it. I won't force it you know," Hanae tried her hardest to calm down. She knew Kagome would want to be with Inuyasha, and that the chemo would take her away from him. She wouldn't do that to Kagome.

"It is highly advised. Especially in her condition. Without it, she will die," the doctor explained. He placed a hand upon Mrs. Higurashi's shoulder. She trembled beneath it. She didn't want her daughter to die, but she didn't want to take her away from Inuyasha.

"How long?" she finally whispered. The doctor looked at her surprised.

"Excuse me?"

"How long do you give her without chemo?" Hanae said impatiently. The doctor stepped back and began leafing through his paperwork.

"2 months."

"Thank you sir, goodbye." With that Hanae grabbed her bag and walked out. _2 months. _The doctor's words kept ringing in her ear. 'Oh Kagome, I'm so sorry. I knew this was coming, but I was hoping it wouldn't affect either you or Sota,' Hanae thought as she walked in the rain to her house. 'Your father had cancer. He wouldn't take chemo. I saw him suffer, but he seemed so peaceful at times. He told me he was glad he didn't take chemo.'

Kagome had come in not a week earlier with a large bruise on her right leg. She said it had been there for a while but it was no big deal. A few minutes later she fainted. Hanae had seen all the symptoms before. She knew what was happening, so she took her to the doctor. Those three words he spoke changed her life forever, _"She has cancer." _She remembered so much, she knew so well what had happened with Hideki.

She walked up the steps and saw Kagome packing a bag. She was leaving. Hanae sighed, and looked a the small jar around her daughters neck. It held the jewel shards. A realization hit Hanae so quick she nearly stumbled backwards. Kagome looked up at her mother. She had began to form small tears in her eyes. Hanae rushed over to her daughter and gave her a big hug. "Kagome, go back to him. Stay with him." Kagome gasped.

"Mama, I'll only be a few days. I just want to say my goodbyes," Kagome's voice wavered and she almost began to cry. 'NO, I won't let myself!'

"You have two months. Go back. Trust me, being with Inuyasha will heal you. You have these shards, they are supposed to grant wishes right? Then get them all and wish on them. Wish to be healthy and safe," Hanae had picked up the jar and showed it to her daughter. She wanted to remind her of her duty, and of her chances there.

"Mama, I can't leave you," she couldn't help it. Tears flowed from her eyes and splattered across her new shirt. Hanae grabbed her bag and pulled out all her school stuff. She went to Kagome's room and replaced it all with warm clothes, blankets, paper and pen. All sorts of things that Kagome would need. She came back down to a flustered daughter sitting on a chair at the kitchen table.

"Kagome, take these pens and paper. Write me a letter every day. You once said that Inuyasha will live for a very long time. Please, write to me and give them to Inuyasha to deliver if you don't survive. I'm sure you will though. Then you can deliver them to me yourself. I love you darling. I want you to be happy. So I am going to ask you that when you reach the other side, seal the well. If you don't, I'll have Gramps seal it over here," Hanae looked at her daughter and gave her a big hug. She knew life without her would be very hard. She also knew that Kagome's home was not here in the house she grew up in, but it the feudal era.

"I love you Kagome," she said into her daughter's hair. Kagome cried and managed to choke out,

"I love you too Mama."

Kagome picked up her bag and ran out to the well. She took a breath and looked back out the well house doors to her home. She would miss it, but her mother was right. She needed to be with Inuyasha. Being with him will take away the pain. 'He will protect me.' The thought came to her again. She released her breath and jumped. Lights danced around her as she flew back through time. She landed softly on the other side and looked up. It made her a little dizzy, she didn't think she could climb. She sat down and screamed…

"INUYASHA!"


	2. Return

_**Chapter Two: Return**_

'**_Soft grey ghost crawl up my sleeve_**

_**and peer into my eyes**_

_**While I within deny their threats**_

_**And Answer them with lies'**_

**_Remembering by Maya Angelou_**

Inuyasha twitched a little and squirmed a bit as he leaned against the tree. It had been a week since Kagome had left. She was sick; he could smell it all over her. That's why he didn't try and stop her from going, and why he hasn't gone to get her yet. The others were busy doing things in the village while he tried to get a little sleep on a high branch. Something was poking him in the side and he was beginning to get very, very annoyed. He squirmed even more and this time he fell out of the tree and hit the ground.

Upset, tired, and lazy, he just laid on the ground. He really didn't feel like getting up after that. 'Feh, just let everyone suspect that I'm dead. Yeah, they can all go to hell for all I care anymore,' he thought. He was getting seriously upset over Kagome. She had smelled halfway dead when he last saw her. She was hurt, and in a lot of pain. 'Why does she always have to hide it from everyone that she's hurt! Damn, she could be dying and still smiling telling everyone she's ok.' Reluctantly he turned over to look at the sky. He sniffed the air, he thought he smelled Kagome. He passed it off as another hallucination. He had been seeing her and smelling her scent for days on end now. He closed his eyes and tried to imagine her there with him. Smiling, stroking his hair, taking off the prayer beads that bind him to her. He let that one off; he was not bound to her by prayer beads. He was bound because he loved her. Even though he wouldn't admit it. He had almost drifted asleep when he heard an earth shattering scream.

"INUYASHA!"

It was Kagome. He jumped up and was at the side of the well in less than a second. It _was_ Kagome. She was at the bottom with a dazed look in her eyes. She looked sick, she smelled worse. He couldn't stand to see her like that. "Oi! What do you want?" he yelled.

"Please help me up," she said in a shaky voice. She was about to faint. 'Damn.' She still had tears in her eyes from what her mother said. Inuyasha could hear the tears in her voice. If it weren't for that, he would've said something stupid and make her mad at him. Instead, he jumped down and gracefully picked her up. He slung her bag around his shoulder and gathered her in his arms. "Thank you Inuyasha."

"Feh," he huffed. Once at the top he began off towards the village. Kagome grabbed him and he stopped. "What?" his voice was soft, caring, almost loving.

"I need to do something," she crawled out of his arms and walked weakly over to the well. She was tired from the visit to the doctor, from running all the way home, from having her mom tell her she needed to go. She stood at the well and focused. Kaede had taught her how to seal things, in case she ever needed it. She took a breath and began. Bright light glowed from her hands and she released the energy. She closed her eyes and fell.

As she had expected, she did not hit the ground. She fell into the warm, strong arms of her Inuyasha. He had been there the moment he saw her close her eyes. He now had her in his arms. He squeezed her tight and nuzzled his nose into her hair. She didn't smell sick there, her shampoo was covering that up. "Are you okay Kagome?" he asked. Even he couldn't hide the loving care in his voice. Lucky for him, Kagome didn't really notice.

"I'm fine, just tired. I need to get some rest. Thank...you…goodnight…Inuyasha," she had fallen limp in his arms. He put his ear to her chest and heard her heartbeat. It was the only thing assuring him that she was still alive. He looked at the well and jumped in. To his surprise, he just found himself at the bottom of the well in his time.

"Kagome," he whispered her name lovingly. 'You closed the well. Something happened.' He sighed. She looked so peacefully there in his arms. He really didn't want to move her. He looked at the sky to see the sun was setting. He didn't really want to go back. Not yet. So, he leaned against the sacred tree and curled Kagome up in his arms. In the morning he would ask her why she closed the well.

When Kagome opened her eyes, she saw the night sky outlined in red. She shivered and tried to wrap the red blanket around her more. A soft grunt came from her pillow. Her eyes snapped open even more as she realized where she was.

Tears formed in her eyes as she saw his peaceful face. She was going to have to break the news to him somehow. She was going to have to sit and watch him deny it, then get angry, then slowly realize she was leaving him for good. This was the way her mom was when she found out about her father. Kagome sighed and snuggled in closer to Inuyasha.

'Inuyasha, I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough to keep this from happening to me. Oh Inuyasha, you can't protect me from this. I wish you could but…' she began to sob, but she hid it in his hoari. 'I'll tell you in the morning.' She looked at what she always knew was the same, no matter which time she was in, the sky. The stars shining bright above. Kagome closed her eyes and made a wish on every single one that she could find. She didn't wish for a cure, she didn't wish for it to go away. She only wished for Inuyasha to understand, for him not to get anger. After wishing on the last star in her sight, she fell asleep in Inuyasha's arms.


	3. Explanations

**Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I'll try to post a new chapter every other day or so, maybe two in a day. I have a week off from school to work on this stuff. I had a hard time trying to find the right poem that would fit this chapter. Please review and tell me if it was ok. Once again, if you have any quotes or poems you want me to put in here, please tell me. Thank you and enjoy!**

_**Chapter Two: Explanation**_

'_**Alone, all alone**_

_**Nobody, but nobody**_

_**Can make it out here alone'**_

**_Alone by Maya Angelou_**

"_Mommy!" a little blue haired, amber eyed sweet heart came running to the woman on the bench. The raven haired woman picked up her daughter and tweaked her cute blue, mini puppy ears. The little girl smiled and ran a clawed finger through her mother's black hair. The little girl jumped off her mother's lap and ran up the mountain side. _

_It was autumn and the leaves had turned and began to litter the pathway before her. Kagome smiled as she saw her daughter run through them. She looked like a lone drop of pure water surrounded in flames. The way she kicked those up made it seem like the flames were dancing around her, but not daring to harm her. Kagome smiled as she felt a gentle hand press against her shoulder. She looked up to see the amber eyed father of her little amber eyed girl. _

_Kagome sighed, for she knew it was only a dream into which she had fallen. Inuyasha's smile faded as he ran to join their daughter frolic up the hill. The bright blue hair and silver kimono the little one was wearing disappeared. Kagome smiled a content smile and let herself fall back into reality. _

She lifted her head off of a soft bed. Inuyasha had laid down his kimono for her to rest upon. She smiled as she saw him in the distance. She gently laid her head back down and stared off into nowhere. It was morning. It was the time she should tell him. She forced herself up and off the kimono. A light breeze blew tufts of her unruly jet black hair into place. Her old school uniform had been replaced with a light blue top and a pair of jeans. She felt slightly more comfortable in them.

"Kagome."

"Hmmm," she responded. Inuyasha had come up and began to put back on his jacket. 'That's odd, she smells fine now,' he thought as he stared into her chocolate eyes.

"You have some explaining to do. You sealed the well and…"

"I will explain it when we get back to the village. I would rather say this in front of everybody," she whispered. Tears formed in her eyes. Inuyasha bent down and offered her his back to ride on. She smiled and climbed on.

"Lady Kagome!" Miroku smiled as others gathered around to see the young girl from the future return.

"Kagome!" Shippo screamed as he jumped into Kagome's open arms. She smiled and played around a little with him before setting him back down.

"Kagome, I'm glad you returned. You looked so ill when you left," Sango offered her some rice cakes that had just been made.

Kaede stood in the hut, her eyes first studying Kagome's stature then moving on to the pained look in Inuyasha's eyes. She walked back into the hut and readied it for them to come in. 'The news Kagome has with her must not be good. Something has definitely happened,' she thought as she put on some tea.

"Kirara why don't you take Shippo to play with the other children for a little while. I have to talk to these guys for a minute," Kagome smiled, a weak smile but a smile nonetheless. Kirara did as she was told and she took Shippo to play around a little. Everyone else gathered in Kaede's hut and awaited the news Kagome had to bring.

"Is everything alright Kagome? Inuyasha hasn't hurt you has he?" Miroku began and gripped his staff. He tossed a warning look at Inuyasha before a fist slammed down on his head.

"I didn't do anything! Why do you always think I've done something?" Inuyasha huffed as he took a seat by Kagome. She giggled a little and took the tea Kaede gave her.

"Simple, you are almost always the reason why Kagome goes home so unexpectedly," Sango states as she sips on her tea. Kagome giggled a little more, but was stopped by a wracking cough that assaulted her. Inuyasha had immediately responded by rubbing her back. He was trying to soothe her, trying to make it a little easier to breathe.

"Kagome, child are ye truly ok?" Kaede hands her a new glass of tea, considering she broke the other. Kagome shakes her head and stares into Inuyasha's eyes.

"No, I'm not. That's what I have to tell you. I have cancer," she addressed to the others. She sighed and, out of being purely tired, leaned against Inuyasha. He blushed a little, but repositioned himself so that it was most comfortable for them both.

"Is this an illness from your time?" Sango asked. Miroku stayed silent.

"It's been around for a while. There's no cure, but there was medicine I could take to help me out," Kagome began to tear up. It was so hard explaining to her best friends that she was dying, and that she couldn't go back to help herself.

"What do you mean _was_? There isn't any anymore or something?" Inuyasha said looking down at her. Kagome reached up to her shoulder and grabbed a lock of his silver hair, more for comfort than anything.

"My mother made me seal the well. She said I needed to stay here," Kagome whispered. The others looked shocked but said nothing. After a silence, Miroku stared deeply at Kagome.

"Kagome, what is this cancer going to do to you?" he asked seriously. Kagome gripped Inuyasha's hair tighter causing him to yelp a little. Kagome didn't hear. All she could hear was that accursed doctor's words ringing in her mind. _She has cancer, she's going to die. _

"It'll…I…." somehow, she just couldn't find the words to say it. Inuyasha was growing impatient. He grabbed her and flung her around to face him.

"Spit it out! What is this going to do to you!" he all but screamed. Kagome stared at him and began to cry. Flustered, he enveloped her in a hug. "I'm sorry Kagome, please don't cry." Kagome turned herself back around and fell into her big, comfy red armchair named Inuyasha.

"I'm sorry everyone. It's just…this is going to…I'm gonna die," she managed to choke out. She tried to speak again but the words wouldn't come out. She couldn't make a sound.

Everyone around her was startled for a moment. Kagome explained everything to them. Every little detail, including how her mother wanted her to stay in this time with Inuyasha. How she wanted her to write a letter every day and tell her about how things are going. How she wanted her to finish the jewel, and wish to be healthy. When she was done everyone gave her big hugs. Kaede asked if it was contagious. If someone would catch it from her and die to. Kagome informed her that the kind she had was not contagious. That it would kill her, and no one had to worry about catching it.

Still, Kagome knew she wouldn't be welcomed to stay in the village anymore. People are afraid of what they don't know. Even in her own time, people fear and shun those who have cancer. Kagome was an outcast now. She was just like Inuyasha, unwanted because of ignorance and prejudice. Kagome didn't care anymore. The others had promised her that they would stay by her side and never let her down. She appreciated that.

"I'm going to take a walk, I'll be back in a little while," she rose and walked away. Her strength had returned to her. Only a little of it, but it was there. She smiled as she slowly walked into the forest. It was autumn. The leaves were changing, just as they had in her dream. She found a root that had shaped into a natural chair and graced herself with sitting there. 'If only that dream were real. If only it could truly come true. But, it can't. I'm dying and Inuyasha is in love with Kikyo. There really is no hope for me here now is there,' she sighed and sunk a little deeper into the roots.

Kagome closed her eyes and breathed in the sweet air. She let her self go for a minute, and she could sense shards. Two of them, heading straight for her. They were going ridiculously fast. Kagome's eyes popped open; something wasn't right here. She realized too late that she didn't have her bow with her. Before she could yell for Inuyasha, a clawed hand clamped over her mouth and nose. She struggled, realizing she couldn't breathe.


	4. Visit from Death

**Author's note: I'm sorry if this doesn't make too much since. I promise that it will as the story progresses. It really does have a lot to do with whether Kagome lives or dies. **

**_Chapter Four: A Visit from Death_**

'_**I like a look of agony, because I know it's true.'**_

_**Emily Dickinson **_

Kagome struggled beneath the grasp. She felt a rush in her palms that she had seldom felt before. She raised them to meet the face of her attacker, and she let loose a powerful blow. Immediately she felt the pressure on her face lift and she could breathe again. She tried to stand but only found herself weaker. She looked to the ground where the demon had flung too. She hoped like hell that it hadn't been Koga, because if it had she would've let Inuyasha kill him for doing that to her.

To her relief, it hadn't been Koga. It was something else, something unconscious. Kagome felt the dizziness return to her. She sat down and rested her head on the roots of the tree. She ran a hand through her black hair and tilted her head to the side. When her eyes focused on the spot where the attacker had fallen unconscious, no one was there.

She jerked up, a little to fast, out of fear and looked around her. No one was there. She felt dread creep up on her. She opened her mouth to scream, but no words came out. She had lost her voice. The well-known feeling of oncoming suffering began to encase her in a shell of pure torment. She cried and tried to stand only to find that she couldn't move. Tears formed in her eyes that she let flow freely down her cheek.

"Yes, little priestess, cry. That look of agony, how I love it so," a beautiful voice echoed around her. It surprised her. She had expected to hear a bone chilling, hideous, hate filled voice. The voice was none of these, but a beautiful voice. A soothing, deep voice that she felt she could melt into. This did not ease the fear that was surrounding her, but only escalated it.

Before her, in an instant, there was a man. A very handsome man dressed in a black shirt and pants. They were clothes from her time, not from the feudal era. He lifted his head so his long, black bangs didn't hide anything from her view. The only thing that took away from his appearance was a very long scar from his right eyebrow to his chin. It cut straight through his empty, dark blue eyes. He turned to Kagome and smiled. It was a devilish smile, one that made her blood freeze.

"That look; that is the only thing real in this world. Or at least real to me. You see priestess, I don't see life as you humans do. Hell, I hardly see life at all," he began to walk in front of her, throwing his arms up at certain parts. Never once did he relieve the feeling of dark beauty that hung around them both.

"But, I guess it is my curse. Do you know who I am little one?" he reached up and cupped Kagome's chin in his hand. She trembled a little, fear pouring out of her brown eyes. "I should've known you wouldn't know. Alas, I was kind of hoping that my reputation would have reached the ears of the little demon slaying school girl who travels through time. No, oh well."

He walked over to a flower and touched it with snow white hands. It shriveled up, black as coal. He then plucked it and took a sniff. His face contorted into a half grin as he brought it up to the face of his capture. Kagome took a sniff and nearly fainted. It smelled foul, like decaying flesh. "Don't like it much do you? Most humans don't like the smell of death. It seems the humans who are on my waiting list are the ones most prone to hatred of my dear sweet flowers. Well Kagome, have you figured it out yet?" Kagome just stared at him, fear still evident in her eyes. He sighed and came within an inch of her face.

"I am Death Kagome. I take those who are dying to a better place, or a worse place, depends really on how you've acted. I also give, let me see how is the best way to put this," he put his finger to his chin in thought. Kagome looked at him again. He didn't look Japanese, but rather like an American. A black haired, pale as a ghost American who apparently likes the smell of decaying things. "Like what you see do you? Child, don't be so ready to come with me." He snapped her out of her trance. His stare went from playfully dark, to deadly serious in an instant.

"I take souls to the next life. This means that if you come with me I'll take you. Don't fret child I haven't come to take you, yet. I am just here to warn you. You may yet survive this terrible fate that was given to you, but you will have to sacrifice something great to do so," Kagome's eyes widened as she saw a small smirk appear on his handsome face. "You really are something Kagome. Well, I must go. I have appointments. People are dying, young ladies crying, and I ain't getting no younger taking care of cancer ridden time traveler's such as you. So I bid you adieu Lady Kagome, good luck."

"Oh yes and before I go, take these. You need them a lot more than I do." He placed something in her hand and with that he turned and faded into the darkness surrounding them. Kagome looked down in her hands and found two sacred jewel shards. She was free to move, to speak. Although her voice had become a little harsh, she could still move.

"Kagome!" a far off voice sounded in her head. She looked up to see no one there.

"Inuyasha! Inuyasha!" she began to scream. Her voice was choked at first but now cam in more even and sweet sounding. If not a little frantic.

"Kagome wake up," Inuyasha sat shaking a sleeping Kagome. She was mumbling his name over and over until it finally came out as a scream. She rose with it, like she had just awaken from a terrible dream. Inuyasha embraced her. They sat in silence for a moment before Inuyasha pulled away and looked at her.

"Are you okay? You weren't breathing," he asked concerned about her. She looked up at him and smiled a small smile.

"Yeah, I just had a strange dream," Kagome spoke in a soft voice. Inuyasha turned and once again gave her a ride on his back. Kagome gingerly climbed on. She rested her head between his shoulder blades. She could faintly hear his soft heartbeat. _Thump, thump, thump._ It was almost like a lullaby. She lifted her hand up to her face and looked into it. Just like in her dream, there were two pale pink jewel shards sitting right there.

'It was real, but it couldn't have been,' she thought as she grabbed on tight to Inuyasha's haori. He responded by holding her closer to him. Kagome stared at the passing land and lost herself in deep thought.

"_You will have to sacrifice something great to survive." _


	5. Yesterday

**A/N: Hello, thank you for the reviews. This is a short chappie, but I had to put it in. The end of it may be a little confusing. I know! I'll hold A CONTEST . Whoever can guess who the doctor is, I'll let them decide the ending to the story. Just review with who you think it is and whether or not Kagome lives or dies. I'll post the winner in the next chapter. Today's quote may help a little. SO REVIEW! **

_**Chapter 5: Yesterday**_

"**_For Yesterday is but a Dream,  
And To-morrow is only a Vision;  
But To-day well lived makes  
Every Yesterday a Dream of Happiness,"_**

_**Kalidasa**_

"Mrs. Higurashi! Please let me come in!" an out of breath voice came threw the door. Hanae rushed to the door and quickly opened it. Standing there in the pouring rain was Kagome's doctor Mr. Tanoshii. He had short brown hair, and dark blue eyes. He was a short man who didn't have high self-esteem; he always slumped over. Hanae ushered him in and offered tea and a towel.

"Mr. Tanoshii, what brings you here in this rain?" Hanae asked as she handed him a towel. He eagerly accepted it and began to wipe off immediately. He hit his face and knocked his glasses askew. He quickly fixed them and then stared apologetically at Hanae.

"I have come with pretty bad news. After extensively studying Kagome's condition, I have found something quite interesting," he pulled his briefcase up and began sorting through all kinds of papers.

Hanae took a sip of her tea and looked at him. It didn't really matter what he said, there was no way to get the information to Kagome now. "Yes sir, please continue."

"You see, Kagome's has a form of brain cancer that will make her very tired. She will want to sleep constantly. These sleeps, they will be long and deep and Kagome will not be able to come out of them on her own. Please Mrs. Higurashi do not allow her to sleep somewhere alone; she may never wake back up," Mr. Tanoshii explained. He pulled out a paper and handed it to Hanae. She took it and read over it. Her face went from an unreadable stone to an extremely worried mother's face.

"What do you mean doctor? What does this mean here!" tears began to fall from her eyes as she points at the paper furiously. Mr. Tanoshii walks over and places a hand on her back. She was trembling, shaking uncontrollably.

"Hanae, please," he gently patted. Hanae stopped shaking so severely. She looked up at the doctor with tear filled eyes. "Hanae, it means that she will sleep, very deeply. Then one day, she will fall into a deep sleep. She will never wake up. It will be painless. She won't feel anything."

"Can she overcome it?" she whispered. The doctor bent down and looked deep into her eyes. For a minute, she swore she saw a hint of mischievous green and gold dance in his dark brown eyes.

"I would keep her very close, I do not think that she can," he frowned and rose up. Hanae looked at him furiously.

"You do not understand! My daughter left to stay with her aunt and uncle in America this month," she said the latter more calmly. Mr. Tanoshii looked into her eyes, his own filled with sadness.

"Alright, just call them and let them know," he patted her back once more and grabbed his things.

"It seems like only yesterday she was a healthy baby girl. I guess those days are just a passing dream now," Hanae sighed.

Mr. Tanoshii said his goodbyes and walked out the door. He looked around the shrine till his eyes fell on the old well house. A smile spread wide across his face. He turned and walked down the steps, the same smile sweeping across his face. Once he was at the bottom of the steps he turned to go on his way home when he stopped. He took off his glasses and tucked them away.

"Don't worry, she's gone," he spoke, his voice somewhat different than before. A woman walked out of the shadows. She had long red hair and bright green eyes. She walked over to the doctor and looped her arm around his.

"Koishii, she meant a lot to you didn't she?" the woman said. Mr. Tanoshii just nodded as they walked away. The woman stared back up the steps to the shrine. There, in that house, lived the woman who stole her beloved's heart away. She sighed and turned back to meet the eyes of the man she loved. She knew that he would never love her the way he had loved that woman. That woman who he had to break the bad news to.


	6. First Appearance of Love

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews. The answer was the doctor was Shippo! Yeah, Kagome was the woman he loved that he had to tell the news to. Tanoshii means playful, like Shippo is. At least I think that's what it is.**** Mitsukai15 guessed it right! Ok, I reveal nothing till later, so enjoy this chapter and review!**

_**Chapter Six: First Appearance of Love**_

"_**Eternity is not something that begins after you are dead. **_

_**It is going on all the time. **_

_**We are in it now" **_

_**Charlotte Perkins Gilman**_

_The wind blew their dark hair around their faces as they sat and talked. Smiles graced their slightly aging features as two little children chased each other around the yard. One had blue hair that wrapped around her face as she ran; the other had dark hair that was pulled back into a small ponytail at the base of her neck. _

_Kagome and Sango watched as their daughters play hide-and-seek with their fathers. They laughed and talked like they hadn't a care in the word. A boy walked out of the hut next to them and sat down beside his sister. "Kohaku, I'm glad you could join us today," Sango smiled. Kohaku was changing. It seemed that the tormented little boy he once was had left him. He was happy, and always smiled. _

_Sango smiled too as her daughter ran up and gave her a big hug. "Safe!" the little one cried out. Miroku, who had been trying so hard to get to the little girl, threw his hands up in defeat. _

"_Oh rats, seems you beat me again," he smiled. His daughter laughed and gave him a big hug. _

"_Is okay Daddy, maybe you get me nest tie!" she said. Miroku and Sango just laughed at the way their daughter spoke. _

_Kagome looked down the path to see her beloved chasing a very fast little blue haired girl. When her father would speed up, she would speed up even more. When she was close to Kagome she jumped. Her hand had reached Kagome's leg just in time, but her father's hand was grasped gently around her little ankle. _

"_I won!" she proclaimed. Her father looked down at her sternly, yet still smiling. _

"_No you didn't, I had my hand around your leg!" he said pointing a finger at her little ankle. The little girl looked up at him with beautiful golden eyes as blinked. _

"_Nuh-UH! I was already to base! Mommy didn't I win!" she looked pleadingly at Kagome who just laughed. She picked her daughter up and hugged her tight. _

"_Of course you won!" she cooed. The little girl smiled at stuck her tongue out at her daddy. _

_Everyone seemed so happy. So, unreal. 'If only this could actually happen,' Kagome thought as she looked around. She placed her daughter down and watched as her dream world faded away. She looked up to see the sacred tree looking back down at her. She smiled and tried to hold back the tears. 'Maybe one day, this will actually happen,' she wiped her hands over her eyes and felt a strong hand on her shoulder. _

"Kagome," Inuyasha spoke softly in her ear. She smiled. 'Must be having a good dream. I wonder what it's about?" he placed her down inside Kaede's hut and sat beside her. She moaned a little and turned over.

"Inuyasha," Miroku walked in the hut and joined his friend. He looked down at the sleeping girl and frowned.

"What's wrong?" Inuyasha said his voice still soft. Miroku sighed and looked up at his friend.

"We need to find the jewel for her. If we don't she may die," his voice held nothing but seriousness. Inuyasha looked up from the sleeping form before him to meet his friend's glare.

"I know, we leave as soon as she wakes up," Inuyasha's voice turned serious as well. Kagome, oblivious to what was going on, smiled and softly spoke, "Inuyasha."

"Are you prepared to give up being a full demon for Kagome's sake? If you should continue on your search to be a full demon, Kagome will not be able to live. You know this Inuyasha," Miroku placed a hand on Inuyasha's shoulder.

"I…I would do anything to insure that Kagome will live. Even if it means giving my own life. She doesn't need to suffer. Not like Kikyo did," he whispered. He bent his head to hide his golden eyes behind his silver locks. Miroku sighed and wiped a lone tear from his eyes.

"Kagome won't live Inuyasha," he spoke softly. Inuyasha's head snapped up and he grabbed a hold of Miroku's clothing.

"What do you mean!" his voice had become violent, almost dripping with poison. Miroku pulled his hands off his clothes and stared a hole into the half demon.

"I mean: we will never be able to defeat Naraku, get his jewel shard, AND gather the rest of the jewel shards in the two months. There has to be another way Inuyasha! We need to find another way to save Kagome and do it fast," Miroku yelled. Kagome stirred a little and blinked her eyes open.

"Hi guys," she said sleepily as she rose up from the futon. Inuyasha was immediately by her side and helped her up. He had become very possessive of her upon hearing the news. He treated her as if she was a rose, something delicate and beautiful that could be taken from him at any moment. Kagome looked up at him and smiled. His heart nearly melted.

"We will Miroku," he nodded as his friend left the hut to tell the others to pack up. Kagome looked to where Miroku was standing and then back to where Inuyasha was.

"Will what?" she asked. Inuyasha tickled her causing her to jump up.

"Nothing," he smiled. Kagome looked down at him absolutely surprised. She smiled a mischievous little smile and jumped on him. She gave him a little tickle attack and he grabbed her and pinned her to the ground.

"Hey no fair!" she cried. Inuyasha shrugged and smiled. She blushed at the position they were in and gently crawled out from underneath him. Inuyasha blushed too and scratched his head.

"Yeah…um…yeah…we're leaving," he announced and left. Kagome smiled and began to pack her things. 'Maybe, just maybe my dream will come true,' she smiled even wider.

One word, one accursed word broke down her little happiness. A little girl out side the hut came running by, obviously playing with her friends. She said that one word. She said, "I'm Lady Kikyo and you can be the centipede demon Yukio!" She was just playing a game. Just a silly little game, but it still hurt Kagome.

'Kikyo, she will always be the reason that my dream won't be real. Kikyo and Naraku can keep that peace in my dreams from ever being real.' She sighed and walked outside to be greeted by her friends.

---Somewhere Far Away---

Death, surrounded by fog, looked into the pit. His dark blue eyes pierced the darkness and brought up the image of the girl he was after. Somewhere behind him he heard a voice. A dark voice, full of hatred.

"So Inuyasha's little wench is the one you're after now isn't it?" the voice spoke. Death shrugged and continued to look at her. She was currently on the back of that demon traveling across the country side.

"What's it to you Naraku?" he spoke, his voice never losing an ounce of beauty. Out of the darkness steps Naraku. He stares down at Death with red eyes full of hate.

"She stands in my way. I want her dead," he walked up and looked into the pit. "You stole two jewel shards from me." Death threw his head back and laughed. The fog that surrounded them seemed to dance. The laugh chilled Naraku to the bone.

"I did. Listen well Naraku; I will not take the girl. Unless I am given a reason. You, with your 'she stands in my way' is not a very good reason. Shut up," he turned to face Naraku who was about to say something. Death's blue eyes were outlined in red as he stared down the half demon before him.

"I don't much care for you, Onigumo. You were to be taken by me into the afterlife. Of course your love for Kikyo just happened to be the reason you stayed. You evaded me by calling on demons to keep you from me. I don't like that Naraku. That was playing dirty, and I am the only one who can play dirty!" Death glared at him. Naraku returned every hate filled look he gave.

"You see, you stayed among the living for love. THAT disgusting emotion and I just say that…"

"That you are not in control of the girl's fate. And neither are you Naraku," a sweet voice came from behind. Death froze; his face became paler than it already was. Naraku gazed on in amazement as a beautiful woman stepped from behind. She had long blond hair that stopped at her ankles. Her gown was white, and unlike anything Naraku had ever seen.

"Away with you Naraku, we no longer wish you here on the plane of dreams," she spoke. With a wave of her hand Naraku was nowhere to be seen. She then turned to Death.

"Hello Ai, it is so nice of you to join me here," Death forced out. He stared at the woman in front of him, and laughed. "Been to Mycenae lately Ai?" he gestured at her dress.

"Yes in fact I have. Lovely there this time of year. It's funny, everyone keeps calling me Aphrodite and dropping down at my feet," she laughed and transformed in to beautiful maiden wearing a blue kimono.

"Love is a universal thing," Death stared down at Kagome once more. In the short time he had been watching, night had already fallen and she was readying herself for sleep. Ai walked up and put a hand on Death's shoulder.

"Sweetie, I think you should go and tell her about the sleep," she rested her hand on his shoulder and sighed. Death looked down at her with hate filling his eyes.

"I cannot interfere any further. I have already informed her of her sacrifice. And DO NOT CALL ME SWEETIE!" he roared. Ai waved her hand and a large cushion appeared out of the fog. She plopped down on it and stared at him.

"You told her what her sacrifice will be?" she lifted an eyebrow. Death joined her and looked into her amorous eyes. Pink, they were pink. The one color he absolutely hated more than anything had to be the color of her eyes. What's worst? He was stuck with her for all eternity.

"No Ai, I didn't. I told her there would be a sacrifice," he draped his arm around her as she eagerly cuddled in with him. She played around with chest as she let everything drop.

"Death and Love. Two things so different, yet so alike. Just remember, you cannot take Kagome until I say," she rose up and walked over to the pit. "As long as there is love, you cannot take her." Death sighed and joined Ai. Together they watched Kagome get ready for bed.

---Back with Kagome---

"Goodnight you guys," Kagome yawned. She was about to crawl into bed with the fox when she noticed Inuyasha asleep on the tree. Everyone else had already gone to bed, and Shippo was curled up in her bag. 'Oh what could it hurt,' she thought as she snuck over to the sleeping half demon.

She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. "Goodnight Inuyasha," she said softly as she jumped into her bag and drifted off to sleep.

Inuyasha reached a hand up and touched the place where Kagome had kissed him. "Goodnight Kagome."


	7. Choices to be Made

**Author's note: Sorry it took me so long on this chapter. I wanted it to be good. I have had a lot of reviews and I greatly appreciate them all. Things start to heat up in this chapter a little more. Kagome has another dream, and she finds out what her sacrifice is. I hope you like it; I've worked very hard on it. **

**To answer a question, in chapter five where the doctor meets up with Kagome's mom, someone pointed out that I said they had one color eyes before and another color at the end. That is because it was Shippo, and I was trying to make it where it was like he still couldn't hold down the transforming stuff, but I messed up. I forgot to put it in at the end, so I am sorry for that. Don't want to keep you waiting, so enjoy!**

_**Chapter Seven: Choices to be Made**_

"**_The important thing is this: _**

_**To be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are **_

**_For what we could become."_**

_**Charles Dubois**_

Kagome drifted off into sleep. She had kissed Inuyasha's cheek. She was the happiest she has been since her diagnosis. Her diagnosis, the cancer that was inside her brain. She didn't know what it was going to do to her. She had left too soon to find out. 'With Inuyasha here, I should be ok,' she thought. Then the words that death spoke came back to her. _'You will have to sacrifice something great.' _

What had she to sacrifice? What did she have that anyone would want? Other than the jewel shards, she had nothing. 'Why does this always happen to me? First I am diagnosed with cancer and given only two months to live, now if I want to live, I have to sacrifice something great! How am I supposed to know what to sacrifice?'

"Oh, you'll know when the time comes," a cold, yet beautiful voice said. Kagome recognized the unforgettable voice and tried to scream. Same as before, she couldn't talk. Her voice had already left her. She tried to stand up and found that she could. She inwardly cried with joy as she began to run away. Death was soon in front of her. His cold blue eyes piercing her soul. He reached out to grab her when his hand was smacked away, and not by Kagome.

"Oh Death! Do not torture her. As I said before, she is one of my charges now," a very sweet voice came from behind the handsome man before her. In a moment he was joined by a beautiful maiden. She had hair down to her ankles that was blonde, not a color most seen around here. Only demons had color like that in these times. Kagome moved back, trying to make an escape the other way.

"Ai," Death backed off and sulked into the growing fog. Kagome tried to cry out as she realized she had no idea where to go. All around her was a dense fog and tree roots. It looked like something out of a nightmare. 'Just the kind of place death would live,' she thought as tripped on a root.

"Kagome, there is no sense in running. Death cannot harm you while I am here," the maiden walked up to Kagome and helped her to her feet. Kagome's eyes were full of fear and amazement. This woman before her did not fear death, but seemed to control it. She had a kind face that Kagome felt she could trust.

"Hello Kagome, my name is Ai. I am here to help you, not harm you," the maiden with the sweet voice waved her hand and a bench appeared from thin air. Kagome, absolutely amazed, took a seat next to the woman. She was taller than most and was wearing a long blue kimono. Her eyes were a soft, welcoming shade of pink.

"Ai, please don't go into one of your long winded speeches. I don't have all night you know," Death brooded. Ai shot him a nasty glare.

"You know I am not allowed to invade dreams as you do. I need you for this," she pleaded. He sighed. He would never in a million lifetimes admit it, but he couldn't stand it when she begged. It wasn't like him to do things like cave in, but he had. Many times before he caved to her will so that she could save a young man in love.

She noticed his submission and turned her full focus on a bewildered, yet still amazed, Kagome. Ai lifted the girl's chin and looked her over. She smiled and walked around her. Death watched her with his blue eyes. 'Trying to scare the poor child. You really have been around me too long,' he thought as he watched her smile and plop down next to the girl. He was utterly bemused at how Ai could have wisdom no man had ever known before, and she still could act like a fifteen year old girl.

"Kagome, you are in love!" Ai squealed. She enveloped Kagome in a hug that frightened the poor child. Kagome nodded. She was in love, whether she wished to believe it or not. "Alright, that is good. Listen, as long as you have love, Death here can't touch you. If you love, you're my baby!"

Death rolled his eyes, and Kagome widened hers. A million thoughts ran through her mind at once. She wanted to ask about the sacrifice, but she couldn't speak. Ai seemed to pick up on Kagome's thoughts because her attitude changed completely.

"Kagome, I am here to offer you a choice. Yes, this has to do with your sacrifice. You see, you can either live or die. It is your choice; we have no say in the matter. I am sure you know that to live, you must sacrifice something great to do so. The sacrifice is not something to be taken lightly. It will affect everything. But I have good news for you Kagome," Ai tucked a strand of Kagome black hair behind her head and stood up. She walked over to where Death was sitting and grabbed him.

"Let me guess you saved a bunch of money on car insurance by switching to Geiko," Death spat. Ai slapped him and dragged him to where Kagome was. Kagome tried to giggle, it was funny and every time she saw those commercials she laughed.

"No, Kagome your good news is this. You have a choice on your sacrifice. Keep in mind, both of these will be great. They have the potential to ruin lives. Everyone's life. I know this is a terrible thing to ask of you, but our superiors believe that it is the only way. You are not of this time, and that complicates things. That is precisely why we are here to help you," Ai sat beside the girl and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Kagome, are you willing to live?" Death, two inches from her face, asked. His voice was still beautiful, if not cold. Kagome couldn't help but look into his eyes. The blue caught her and seemed to pull her in. In those eyes she saw the death of thousands. Men crying, babies screaming, and no one trying to help. It was death. All those that Death had taken, he could still see them. Kagome heard once that if you got the chance to look into death's eyes, you would see terrible things. Tears formed in her eyes as she saw her father. He was dying. Inuyasha's mother was being slain by the villager's while his father attacked by Ryoukotsusei.

"You see them, don't you? All those Death has taken," Ai's voice seemed so far away, but she was right next to her. Kagome nodded her head as a light was lifted from her. She sobbed out loud. She gasped her voice it returned to her.

"Well kid, are you willing to sacrifice and live?" Death demanded an answer, but Kagome couldn't hold back the tears. Ai took her chin in her fingers and brought her eyes into her own.

"Look into my eyes, what do you see?" Ai's voice was beautiful. Kagome looked into her eyes and was trapped. She saw her father marrying her mother, Inuyasha's mother and father together. She saw Sota with Hitomi. She saw Sango and Miroku smiling, happy for a moment. She looked on and saw Inuyasha standing there with Kikyo in his arms. Tears flooded her eyes and all the images become blurs. She saw Inuyasha again; he was happy and holding something in his arms. She couldn't see much of anything else through the tears. She turned her head. It was love. She saw Inuyasha with Kikyo. That was who he loved; who he would be with.

"I saw love," Kagome choked out. Ai hugged her and spoke so softly in her ears.

"Will you live?"

"Yes," Kagome nodded. She knew she had to be there for Inuyasha. No matter what, for him and for her friends she had to be there.

"Then listen well, I will tell you your sacrifice. You may choose between either one, but be careful. You will have one week to decide, but please make sure it is the right one," Ai stood up and walked to stand beside Death. She sighed and looked down at the girl, tears filling her eyes. Her usually happy soul was now filled with heart ache.

"You may either sacrifice the Shikon Jewel to Naraku," Death smirked. He was enjoying this a little too much.

"Or you may sacrifice your love for Inuyasha. This means that you will not be able to love him that you will have to stand by his side watching him with Kikyo. Your dreams, they will not come true. He will be by your side, but you will not have him," Ai barely choked out. "Go now and think of your choice."

Kagome gasped as she was thrown out of the dream. Ai summoned a large chair that she had seen in America once and sunk herself in it. Death looked down on her to see that she was crying. He couldn't stand this, so he sat with her and wrapped her in his arms. He hated this, he hated her. But he hated tears more than anything. He hated to take someone who was crying, or being cried over. He hated to watch everyone mourning over the death of someone close. He hated it because it was his fault.

"Please Ai, you know I hate tears," he pleaded. His voice was softer, almost caring. Ai turned in his arms to face him. She wiped the tears away and looked him dead on with pink, puffy eyes.

"She saw everything in my eyes," she whispered.

"I know," Death put his forehead to hers. Ai shook her head.

"She saw everything except Inuyasha holding her and their child. She was him with Kikyo. She saw him smiling, but the tears wouldn't let her see him with her. She saw him happy, but she failed to realize he was happy with her!" she cried out. Death pulled her into a tight embrace and cursed himself for doing so.

"Listen, it is out of our hands. She will do the best she can. You must have faith in her now," Death patted her back. Ai cried into his shoulder and remembered the one thing Kagome didn't see.

_Inuyasha was standing there, a smile spread across his face. Small tears were dripping down his face as he held his daughter in one arm and his wife in the other. She was brave. She had loved him when no one else could, and she was standing there with him now. Tears were in both their eyes as their little newborn baby held both of their fingers in her own two hands. No one could ever find two people as happy as them in the world. _


	8. Contemplation

**A/N: Hey there! I'm so happy for all the reviews! I would just like to say thank you to everyone. I also have a request from my wonderful people, there is a story called _The Other Us? _By _Actionfrank _that I think is really good. I would appreciate it if you would review it and give it a chance. It's hilarious (maybe a little confusing but funny) and it may be discontinued if there isn't any reviews. Other than that, ENJOY AND REVIEW my story too. I won't post another chapter unless I have 4 reviews.**

**_Chapter Eight: Contemplation_**

Kagome jumped from her sleep. Sweat was pouring down her face. She quickly glanced around the campfire. Everyone was asleep, even Shippo was not jarred when she jerked awake. Miroku was sleeping, his hands wandering on their own. Sango was sleeping peacefully, and so was Inuyasha, who had a goofy smile on his face. Kagome was near tears when she stood up to talk a walk.

"Kagome," a soft voice caused her to jump and fall. She turned to see Sango holding out her hand. Kagome took it and fell into the demon slayer's arms. Her dream, this one hurt so much it had to be real. Sango, who was oblivious to what was happening, merely tried to comfort her.

"There, there Kagome don't cry," she tried to comfort. Kagome wiped her eyes and looked up at the demon slayer. Over time this girl had become her closest friend. She had decided, she wasn't going to keep this from her. She didn't care the consequences, Sango had to know!

"I'm ok now Sango. I need to tell you something. Come with me," Kagome stood up and they walked into a clearing. It was beautifully lit by the moonlight. The trees framed around the moon, only allowing certain strands through. It was like an image of twisted perfection. They found a rock, in the middle of the clearing, that they both could sit on.

"What's wrong Kagome? Is this about your cancer?" Sango was worried. She tried not to show it as much, but she couldn't help it. Kagome had told them that she had an illness that was going to kill her. Something that only the Shikon Jewel could fix. Sango knew they would never get to the jewel in time to save Kagome. She knew her friend's fate, although she would never allow herself to admit it.

"Kinda, you see I've had two dreams about it lately," Kagome looked at her hands. They were so pale. She could feel herself getting weaker. She fought to hold back the tears that threatened to burst forward.

"Oh, you mean the ones about seeing all of us in the future. How we were all happy and married to one another?" Sango asked. She twisted her face a little to show the dislike of marrying Miroku. This made Kagome laugh a little.

"No, no. I mean it was like a vision. I saw Death and Love, or Ai as she wanted to be called. They were different, but so much alike at the same time. They told me that there is a way I can live. They said there was a way to live without the Shikon Jewel," Kagome stopped. She looked up at Sango who had a smile on her face. Despite the fact her friend was now claiming to see things in her dreams, she had said that there was a way to save her without using the jewel. Sango couldn't help but smile at the good news.

Her smile was short lived though. The look on Kagome's face when she lifted her head to meet her friend's gaze said it all. Sango didn't know all the details, but she knew that look. She grabbed hold of Kagome and wrapped her in a big hug. Whatever it is that will save her, will probably be a fate worse than death. She pulled back and looked at her friend. Both of them had faces that were red from crying.

"What must you do Kagome?" Sango asked pushing some of her dark hair out of her eyes. Kagome looked down at her own hands again. Her raven hair fell around her face and hid her eyes from view. She took in a deep breath and began.

"I saw Death and Ai. They told me I would have to sacrifice something great to live. I have to be here for you guys. I have to finish the quest I started, so I chose to live. Sango, I must either sacrifice the Shikon Jewel to Naraku, or I have to give up my love for Inuyasha. That would mean I would have to watch him with Kikyo, and never be able to love him. He could never love me back. I have a week to decide, but I already know my choice. It's fairly clear," she spoke softly. Kagome tried to hold back the barrage of tears, but failed.

Sango was silent. 'To live, Kagome would have to give up the jewel, or Inuyasha. Either way, Kagome could never live happily afterwards,' Sango thought as she patted Kagome's back. 'I've heard stories of Death and the tricks he plays. He is going to make Kagome wish she was dead no matter what. Ai. Father used to talk about love. He said love is the most deadly weapon of all. Of course those two would be working together.'

"What will you do Kagome?" Sango let curiosity get to her. Kagome lifted her head to meet Sango's eyes. Her hair was a mess, her face beet red. She tried to wipe away the tears.

"I'll have to give up Inuyasha. I can't give up the jewel. That's what we've been working for! I can't let Naraku win and Miroku and Kohaku die. I can't do that to you guys. I'll have to give up love to help. Who knows maybe by doing that, I'll be able to concentrate on my work!" Kagome tried to lighten things up. "We better get back before the guys wake up and wonder what happened to us?"

Sango remained silent as they wiped the tears from their eyes and walked back to camp. Nothing was heard between the two except for the sound of the night. When camp was in sight, Sango grabbed Kagome's hand. "Don't give up on Inuyasha. We won't let Naraku win! No matter what, we will defeat Naraku. So please, don't give up on love to save us."

Kagome nodded her head and began towards her sleeping bag. She crawled in and gave Shippo a little squeeze. Morning would be coming soon. 'I can't let Naraku get the jewel. I have one week to love Inuyasha. One week is all I got left, but I guess that's all I ever needed.'


	9. Grown Up Tag

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews! I worked really hard on this chapter, I hope you like it. I added some fluff because some people were saying it was really sad and depressing. I hope this is better. Everyone has asked that she find a happy ending. Don't worry, I wouldn't be a good author if I didn't give her the happy ending she deserves after all this is over. Thanx to my reviewers on the last chapter: Avelyn Lauren, hotdoginuyashaluv, Ryoko at 13, Full Metal Vampire, and gothic-ember!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha….satisfied? **

****

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**_Chapter Nine: Grown Up Tag_**

"**_I hold it true, whate'er befall;  
I feel it, when I sorrow most;  
'Tis better to have loved and lost  
Than never to have loved at all._****_"_**

**_Alfred Tennyson_**

Kagome awoke to find that the ground beneath her was moving. She squeezed her hands around some light material and snapped her eyes open. This was the second time she has awaked in Inuyasha's arms. She lifted her head up and placed her chin on his shoulder. Inuyasha's silver hair had already slapped her in the face a couple times, she was tired and didn't want to deal with that.

"Morning wench," he smiled and handed her a rice cake. She looked at it and shrugged. It was better than nothing. She began to nibble on it a bit when she noticed Shippo wasn't anywhere to be seen.

"Where's Shippo?" she took a chunk out of the cake and nearly slipped. Inuyasha tightened his grip around legs and pulled her closer to him.

"Gone with the wind," he muttered. Kagome looked at him, confusion written all over her face. He laughed a little. "Really, Ai absolutely loves that damned movie. I can't see why." Kagome's eyes widened in fear.

"Death?" she mumbled. "Inuyasha" turned his head towards her and smirked. He simply continued on.

"In your lover boy's flesh. I love being able to possess bodies. Especially demons, it kind of gets back at the whole demonic possessions of humans don't you think? Oh well, you probably don't find this funny at all do you Kags?" Inu-Death laughed. Kagome was simply annoyed. It was not a dream, it was worse. Dreams she could pretend didn't exist.

"What have you done with my friends?" Kagome squirmed. She had just realized that the person holding her so tightly on their back was not Inuyasha, but the one being she didn't want to have anything to do with.

"The monk, demon slayer, fox kit, and damned little cat took off this morning. Sango, I think that's her name, decided to give you and Inuyasha some alone time. That's when he packed you on his back and took off," Inu-Death shifted Kagome a little causing her to cling for dear life. What she was clinging to, she still was unsure of.

"Please be careful! I'm falling here!" Kagome screeched. Inuyasha's hands clamped even tighter around her legs as they pulled her higher on his back and closer to him.

"I am not in control of his body, sadly Ai refused to let me do that. As far as your little lover boy is concerned here, you are sound asleep on his back. I'm just invading a little to have a nice friendly chat with you," Death laughed a little. Kagome peered over to get a look at Inuyasha's face. His lips weren't moving or anything. 'Great, now I'm hearing things!'

"Ok, why couldn't Ai come?" Kagome rested her head on Inuyasha's back and sighed a little.

"She didn't want to risk the monk. Honestly, if I were a beautiful woman, I wouldn't want to be near that womanizer either," Kagome could hear the dislike in Death's beautiful voice. She couldn't help but giggle a little.

"I thought you couldn't be seen," she asked as Inuyasha slowed his pace to a stop. He sat her down on a nice clump of grass and relaxed beside her.

"I can't, but I can be sensed sometimes. I do have an actual body. Miroku, in all his lecherous glory, would have probably sensed Ai here and tackled the nearest woman to the ground. Kirara, she sensed me. Damn that little cat bites hard!" Inuyasha's face smirked. Kagome didn't really know which one was smirking, Death or Inuyasha. She didn't really care, either way it was cute.

"So what do you want to talk to me about?" Kagome sighed. She was slowly getting used to these talks with Death. Scary as that may seem.

"Just wanted to see how the progress was going," Death didn't sound amused. He sounded like he was extremely bored with having to talk to Kagome.

"You just left me a few hours ago," Kagome closed her eyes and tried to picture Death's face. Sadly, all she could picture was his eyes.

"Not really, you see. Since you left Sango, you've been asleep for three days. Inuyasha convinced every not to worry, that it was a way to fight the cancer or whatever," Kagome tried to imagine Death's grimace, the one he had whenever something didn't go his way. Kagome sat up shocked.

"THREE DAYS!" she screamed. Inuyasha's ears twitched and he opened his eyes to peer down at Kagome. He closed them again and sighed.

"Shut up with the big mouth will you! You'll wake him from his trance. Now listen, the doctor's in your time told your mother something important that I must tell you or else I will have to spend a night on a love boat with Ai. You see, you have a brain cancer that is going to affect your sleep. You will become very tired very often and you will not be able to come out of your sleeps on your own. It's already taken a hold on you," Death droned on, but Kagome didn't listen. She will not be able to awake on her own. Is that so bad?

She sighed and opened her eyes to look up at the sky. It was a beautiful blue. Three days she had been sleeping, so in four more, they will want their answer. She cannot sleep if she wants to do this with Inuyasha. Perhaps if she were to…

"Death!" she called. Death stopped and she could feel cold blue eyes staring at her from someplace.

"Yes," the cold, yet beautiful voice replied. Kagome closed her eyes and could clearly see Death and Ai watching her.

"I have made my choice, but I don't want it to go into affect till after the week is up ok," she demanded. She looked as a deadly smirk appeared on Death's face. Ai's smile turned into a look of complete seriousness.

"As you wish it. Tell me, what is your choice?" Venom that was the sound of his voice. It had turned into sweet venom that pierced Kagome's heart.

She turned her full attention to Inuyasha. His eyes were closed, but he was more alert than ever. Tears formed in those chocolate eyes of Kagome's as she lifted herself up from the ground and crawled over to where Inuyasha sat. She touched his skin ever so softly as she let the teardrops fall. Her choice was clear, but she will not let anything ruin her four days with Inuyasha. She brought herself to his face and gave him an innocent kiss, one of the last they'll ever share.

"I give up my love for Inuyasha, on the terms I can stay by his side and still journey to gather the jewel shards," she choked the words out. She closed her eyes and saw Ai's small broken smile and Death's nasty smirk.

"Of course! Yes, we will allow it and…"

"And you will not bother me or my friend's again!" Kagome screamed at Death.

"Kagome what's wrong!" a very concerned half demon was immediately at her side. Although the trance Inuyasha was in had broken, she still heard the reply.

"_Yes little priestess, we won't bother you guys again."_

"_You are a dirty old PIG! I hate you! You filthy, rotten…being a woman of love I can't say what I really think of you!" she heard Ai's voice ring out. _

"Nothing's wrong. I'm fine, don't worry about it. So what do you want to do today Inuyasha?" she smiled at him. Confused, yet very happy that she was alive, he just smiled and hugged her.

888Many miles away with our bickering unlikely lovers888

"You are a filthy pig! I can't believe that you would do such a thing to that girl!" Ai screamed as she waylaid Death.

"What! I merely let her answer! I didn't do anything!" he screamed. Ai reared back and punched him in the jaw.

"RIGHT AND I'M MARRIED TO THE EASTER BUNNY!" she screamed. Death, who would have laughed at this, fell to the ground from the blow delivered by love.

"I thought you were a woman of love! I thought you were a pacifist!" he screamed back at her. She waved her hands and a very throne-like chair appeared in front of her. In an instant she turned to look like a Greek goddess. Death was more afraid than he had ever been in his life.

"My dear sweet little friend, you will regret the day that you EVER angered me!" her voice was no longer sweet and beautiful, but powerful and vengeful. He was afraid. Very afraid.

In a split second, all those Death had taken while he was human stood before him. Legions of men angered at the sight of the powerful man before them. Death cowered in fear, something he would never do in his life. Ai raised her hand and spoke a single word, "Beg." With that, she brought down her arm and screams could be heard from miles away.

888Back with Inuyasha888

"So, where is everybody?" Kagome asked sweetly. Inuyasha shrugged as turned a rabbit over and over on the flame.

"Gone to Kaede's. Don't know why though," he answered. Kagome looked up at the man she had fallen in love with.

'I only have four days. Now is as good a time as any,' she thought as she walked over to Inuyasha. He was kindly fixing her lunch when she pounced on him and gave him a quick kiss.

"What was that for!" he cried, his face as red as could be. She giggled.

"Your it!" She cried and got up to run. Inuyasha stood up and stared at her with a look of pure confusion written all over his face.

"That's not like the tag you and Shippo play," he innocently said. Kagome gave him a smirked at him and replied.

"Nope, this is grown up tag!" Before she could say anything else, Inuyasha had her pinned to the ground and gave her a soft kiss.

"Ya know, I think I might like this game," he smiled wickedly as he leaned down in her and spoke so softly, "Your it."


	10. Discovery

**A/N: I got a lot of reviews on the last chapter! Thanks so much for them all! I hope this chapter is good, I thought it was a little weird. I've had a lot of things going on, not to mention writer's block, that have went against me writing this. I hope it can satisfy your tastes for just a little while longer. Hopefully it won't take as long to get the next chapter out. Hmm…..I'd like to have 6 reviews before I post another chapter. I hope this isn't as bad as I thought it was. Enjoy. **

**Oh and just a note, I'm changing the thoughts from 'this' to _this._**

**_Chapter Ten: Discovery_**

"**_I want to sleep the dream of the apples_**

_**To withdraw from the tumult of centuries**_

_**I want to sleep the dream of that child**_

_**Who wanted to cut his heart out on the high seas"**_

**_Excerpt from Gacela of the Dark Death_**

**_By: Federico García Lorca _**

Kagome smiled as she snuggled into Inuyasha. They had played their little tag for about an hour before finally giving up. Kagome was happy, seeing how day one had turned out. She was trying very hard to stay awake, for fear if she fell asleep she would miss the next three days. When she really thought about it, it wasn't going to sleep that she feared the most. Her greatest fear was Inuyasha saying those words that she so badly wanted to hear for so long.

_It's funny now that I think about it. I wanted for so long to hear those words, but now that it may become a reality, I don't want to hear them. I know he won't say them, but what if he does? What am I going to do? I can't go on loving him. I can't play him along like this, it'll only hurt him more in the end, _she thought. She yawned causing Inuyasha's ears to twitch a little. _Just a little nap, that won't hurt anything. _With that she fell asleep, into a deep sleep yet again. In the arms of the man she loves, she fell into a sleep that would change her life.

Fog wrapped around Kagome's mind as she realized where she was going. Back to meet them. A tear fell down her cheek, for all she knew her time was up. One day was all she had with him. One day. That's hardly enough when the words that should pass between two people never do. Kagome couldn't help it. She began to cry. Tears streamed down her face and wracked her whole body. She cried like she did the day her father died.

All of a sudden she felt very weak. Weaker than she ever did before. She began to go dizzy, a feeling rarely felt in dreams. She began to hurt, like her reality was seeping into her dreams. She felt the full effect of her cancer hit her harder than it ever hit before.

"I'm sorry Kagome. I wasn't allowed to keep the pain from you anymore. I've been doing that you know, keeping the pain from you. I put a shield around you so you wouldn't feel it, but I can't anymore. Not if I'm to do this. Kagome, I am sorry, but you just need to trust me," Ai appeared at Kagome's side and placed a long hand on her shoulder.

"What are you talking about? Why am I here! I have three more days don't I! DON'T I!" Kagome screamed. Ai shook her head, her long hair gently swaying back and forth behind her.

"You can't. In three days you will be forced to give up Inuyasha, but you can't do that. I can't let you do that. Kagome, as long as you love, Death cannot take you. He is a sadistic bastard, and he will stop at nothing to make your life hell," she pulled Kagome up and brushed her off. Kagome's body was limp, weak from finally feeling the effects of the cancer.

"What do you mean?" Kagome choked out. Yelling had taken a lot more out of her than she thought it would. She was very upset, but a glimmer of hope shined in her heart. Something that Ai said.

"Our superior put me in charge of your life, because your destiny has yet to be fulfilled. Death wanted you. In the underworld a priestess of your caliber would bring in a hefty prize. I was in charge of your life because you love so deeply. Apparently, Death had a meeting with Naraku after I expelled him from here and discussed a way for the two of them to get what they want. Death tricked me into thinking he cared. In all honesty, he was using me to get to you. I am ashamed to say that in a moment of sweet talking, I told him what I had chosen for your sacrifice," at this point Ai took Kagome's hand and squeezed it. "I'm so sorry Kagome."

"He took that information and counseled with Naraku on a way to satisfy them both. He knew that you loved Inuyasha and wouldn't sacrifice it unless the other was greater. He knew the only thing more important to you than Inuyasha is your duty to your friends. Then he made that sacrifice for you. He tricked us. I just recently found out. Kagome I'm sorry, I never meant for this to happen to you. I hope you can forgive me," Ai looked pleadingly into Kagome's eyes. Tears formed in both of the women's eyes as they let what passed between them sink in. It was a while before Kagome spoke.

"I forgive you Ai. I know it's not your fault. But, what can I do now? It's all over right; I'll just go with Death anyway then," Kagome spoke so softly Ai barely heard her. Ai shook her head and squeezed Kagome's hand.

"There is another way," she whispered. Kagome's eyes lit up, and that little hope stirring in her soul bounced up and down like it was given a bag full of chocolate. "You have been having dreams of you and Inuyasha right."

"Yeah," Kagome reluctantly admitted aloud. Ai smiled and knelt down before Kagome.

"Good, I can't tell you what I'm going to do, but I hope you like it," Ai waved her hand around Kagome and she began to feel funny. All of a sudden her world was rapidly changing around her. It was becoming filled with reds and gold. She blinked her eyes as she realized she was once again on the mountain in her dreams.

"Hello Kagome," a deep sweet voice came from behind her as strong arms wrapped themselves around her waist.

---With Inuyasha---

"Kagome! Kagome!" Inuyasha screamed as he shook the limp form of his love. They had curled up for a little rest after playing "tag" when he noticed that her breathing had changed. When he woke up to look down at her face, she wasn't breathing at all. He started shaking her, afraid that she had died. He was so afraid that the cancer had taken her before he got the chance to say how he really felt.

"Kagome, Kagome I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. I'm sorry I didn't say it sooner. Kagome I love you. Please come back to me, please," he begged as the tears flowed down his cheeks to her limp form. He perked up hearing footsteps.

"That was so sweet. Very sad, but still sweet," a sweetly beautiful voice came from in front of him. He looked up to see a beautiful woman standing there. She had long blonde hair that dropped down to her knees. Roses had been entwined within a few strands of the hair. Her eyes were a soft pink; her skin milky white. She was very beautiful.

"Are…are you a goddess?" Inuyasha stammered. The woman laughed and knelt down beside where he sat. Her long white gown flowed gently wherever she moved. Her clothes, her stature, her hair, everything about her were not from this world.

"No, I am a spirit. My name is Ai, and I am the Spirit of Love," her voice was like soft velvet on Inuyasha's ears. He liked it, but it wasn't anything like his Kagome's.

"Why are you here?" he asked, trying not to be rude. She lifted a long hand up to Kagome's face and wiped away a strand of hair.

"She is not dead. She is asleep. She is going on a very big journey from which she might possibly not return. Don't fret Inuyasha, Kagome is strong and she'll make it," Ai explained. She sat with him and explained everything to him. The deal, the deceit, every little detail that he wasn't supposed to know.

All the while they were talking; Kagome was undertaking a journey more deadly than anything she had ever taken before. For what she didn't know, she only had three days to come back before she died.


	11. Losing Love

**A/N: I'm sooooo sorry! I didn't expect to get writer's block that bad. The worst part was I had great ideas for everything but this. I want to thank all my reviewers, I hope you weren't too mad at me for having to wait so long. This isn't originally what I had planned this chapter to be, but I think everything worked out pretty good. I'm not a big fan of this chapter, but I hope ya'll like it. **

**Just wanted to say that the next chapter will be my last. I won't be making a sequel, but if any of my readers would like to make a sequel based on it, be my guest. In the next chapter, Inuyasha gets to meet someone very, very important and I'm bringing Death back to the good side! **

**Oh, and I'm writing a new story called The Road Back Home. It's a romantic comedy based off of Sweet Home Alabama, first chapter ain't very good but it will get a lot better. Please read. Anyway, on with the story! READ AND REVIEW!**

**Chapter Eleven: Losing Love**

_**Peace, peace, she cannot hear**_

_**Lyre or sonnet, **_

_**All my life's buried here,**_

_**Heap earth upon it**_

**_Requiescat by Oscar Wilde _**

"Hello Kagome," a deep sweet voice came from behind her as strong arms wrapped themselves around her waist. Tears welled in Kagome's eyes. She had heard that voice so many times before, but it had all seemed so far away. She turned, very slowly, to see the man she had wanted to see for so long.

"Daddy!" she cried and jumped in his arms. She looked over his shoulder to see people everywhere looking and walking around. They were all from her time, and they had all come to the mountain.

"Kagome, you look like you've seen a ghost," he smiled. Kagome blinked at him and stared the man straight in the face. They shared the same eyes, and hair. Kagome couldn't help it. She jumped in his arms again and let the teardrops roll down his shoulder.

"I've just missed you a lot, that's all," she said again. Her voice was small, like a child's. She looked at her hands, they were little again. She was a child again, a child with a real father right in front of her. _Daddy, we can have our second chance!_ her mind cried out. _Inuyasha. _

The name hit her like a ton of bricks. What about Inuyasha? She shook her head of the thoughts and smiled as her daddy picked her up and swung her around. As far as she was concerned, she was exactly where she needed to be.

"Kagome! Over here!" someone called out to her. She looked up to her Daddy. He was just staring in the direction of the voice. A little boy, with long silver hair and two cute puppy dog ears popped up out of no where in front of them. Hideki laughed and rubbed his hand between the boy's ears.

"Well, if it isn't Inuyasha! Where are your parents?" he laughed. Inuyasha pointed to a place where a happy couple was having a picnic. "Well, I'm going to go see Mr. Taisho. You stay here sweetie." He bent down and kissed Kagome's forehead as he walked off. Kagome smiled. Her daddy was back, and Inuyasha was there too. They had their chance to be happy. To grow up together, to be a family, and to make her dreams come true.

"Hi," she shyly said. He was cute for a little kid. He smiled at her and grabbed her hand. In a second she was flung on his back and they were going somewhere up the mountain. Kagome was very upset; she wanted to scream at the top of her lungs. She opened her mouth to, but Inuyasha's demanding adult voice stopped it. She opened her eyes to see herself riding on the adult Inuyasha up the same mountain, in the same time, and she was still a little girl.

"Don't even think about screaming Kagome," he growled dangerously. Out of fear, she closed her mouth and sunk into herself. He grabbed her by her neck and flung her around. She stared at him with wide eyes as they finally came to a stop.

"Wha…"

"You left me Kagome," he growled. His eyes turned crimson red. His fangs grew, and Kagome's world grew dark. She could barely see a faint outline of him, but she heard his voice ring out as clear as a bell.

"YOU LEFT ME KAGOME!" he yelled. Tears welled up in her eyes, demanding their freedom from the chocolate prison. "You left me. You promised me you would never leave, but you did. I was holding you in my arms and you left!"

"No, no, no, no," she held her hands to her ears to block out the noise as she chanted. She didn't leave him. She didn't leave him. She just fell asleep. She was still in his arms.

"You ran away from me. Like I was some kind of a monster," his voice turned soft. She could feel the pain dripping off his voice like blood drips from the end of a blade. "You promised."

"I didn't leave you," she cried. Then, he said five little words that tore her heart wide open. She couldn't bare it anymore.

"You are just like Kikyo."

"NOOOO!" the cry came out like thunder across the field. Inuyasha was immediately by her side.

Ai clutched her heart. She could feel pain. Great and terrible pain. Kagome's pain. She looked at the girl with one great pink eye and gasped. There was a dark aura working around her. Whatever it was, it was succeeding in destroying Kagome.

"It's already been two and a half days Ai," a darkly handsome voice reverberated in Ai's mind. She winced and fell into a soft slumber, leaving Inuyasha all alone.

"Death, it isn't wise of you to show your face," she spat weakly. Death laughed. It was a part of his plan. By causing Kagome great pain by the one she loves, he could weaken Ai enough to kill her as well.

"She will be dead by nightfall," he fiddled with a rosary in his hands. Ai cringed. Kagome's death would lead to something very terrible. "I'm afraid you won't have the privilege of witnessing it though."

"Why not?" she asked. Her pink eyes grew to the size of saucers, blood leaked out the sides of her mouth. She slowly shifted her gaze down to where Death's hand had replaced her heart.

"You had a little accident," he spat. Red eyes glared at the now dissipating spirit. He smirked. His work was done. With Ai out of the way, Kagome will never reawaken. She will die, thinking it by Inuyasha's hands. Best of all, the body Ai had while here will bare the same wounds he just inflicted on her spirit. Blood will spill on the ground, and on the half demon. He will be sentenced to death by the Council for killing a spirit.

"Oh what a glorious day this is."

Back in the Darkness of Kagome's mind

"I am not like Kikyo," she cried. No strong arms wrapped themselves around her, no comforting feh's. She was all alone, doomed to bare this pain in her mind. _"Wait! That's right! This is only my mind, nothing more!_" she thought. A small smile appeared on her lips.

The Inuyasha in her dreams appeared before her once more, his eyes as dark and unforgiving as before. "What?" he glared. Kagome looked up with teary eyes and a big smile.

"I'm not like Kikyo. You see, there's this one little thing that separates us. I'm alive. I'm in the here and now," the dream Inuyasha's eyes widened and softened slightly, as if even in her dreams he thought of Kikyo. Kagome walked up to him, placed a hand on his cheek and stroked it. "I'm here now Inuyasha, I'm never going to leave you again. I love you."

She leaned up and pressed her lips to his. It was passionate, full of love, and most of all real. She slowly fluttered her eyes open to see Inuyasha's face connected with hers, his lips on hers. She smiled, and deepened the kiss.

Unbeknownst to her, Ai lay just a few feet from them. Her body broken and blood pouring from it. Still, in this moment, Kagome could care less. The only thing she cared about was the fact that Inuyasha was with her now, kissing her now, loving her now, and nothing was taking that away.


	12. The End?

**A/N: Hey guys! Here it is! The final chapter. I'll warn you now, I was drugged up on caffeine and benadryl(sp?) when I wrote this. The ending isn't very good. But it's better than nothing! I hope you guys like it! **

**3/1/06: I have gone back and edited the end a little bit. With the editing job I've done, I'll be making an epilogue for the story. I don't know when that will be out, but I promise it will be. Sorry, but the ending is still a little fuzzy. I like this one better than before though. I'll explain everything better in the Epilogue. **

**Chapter 12: The End**

_**Sometimes I think**_

_**We could have gone on.**_

_**All of us. Trying. Forever.**_

_**But they didn't fill **_

_**The desert with pyramids. **_

_**They just built some. Some.**_

_**They're not still out there, **_

_**Building them now. Everyone, **_

_**Everywhere, gets up, and goes home. **_

_**Yet we must not **_

**_diabolize time. Right?_**

_**We must not curse the passage of time. **_

**_On the Strength of All Conviction and the Stamina of Love by Jennifer Michael Hecht_**

"The half breed Inuyasha killed the Lady Ai," a woman cloaked in brown squeaked. Four of the seven elders, all clothed in a different color, gasped as they looked at each other. They sat upon the finest cushions on a rise in the floor. One of the ladies who gasped, a pretty little thing dressed in green, subconsciously lifted a hand to her long forest green locks. Her bright green and yellow eyes surveyed the messenger.

"Is what you say true," the booming voice of the man in the center broke the gasps and whispers all around the room. He sat upon a silken cushion garbed in three different shades of red armor. The little green girl sat to his right, and on the left another woman.

"Yes sire," the woman squeaked again. Three maids seeing to the other spirits in the room fainted. The red elder waved everyone in the room away, leaving only the seven upon the cushions. The woman to his left, a woman with long dark curls cascading down her back, drew from her black robes a dagger. Hatred filled her eyes as she flung in to the wall.

"Erinyes! Calm yourself," the red elder boomed again. The woman clothed in black nodded and walked across the great room to retrieve her dagger. Her eyes were blood in color and almost seemed to spill it if you should touch them.

"What shall we do?" a man clothed in the pale yellow robes of a Greek stood and walked to his sister. Erinyes smiled a deadly smile as he put his arm on her shoulder.

"He killed an elder!" a woman shrieked as she pointed to the eighth cushion, now empty. The man in red buried his head in his large hands and sighed.

"What shall you have me do Crono?" he boomed. The man in white stood motionless in thought for a minute. Finally he waved his hand, as if to say ask someone else for now.

"Akira, do not be rash, this man may have killed an elder but we cannot risk killing the only one able to defeat Naraku," a man in a mostly white kimono spoke evenly and emotionless. His long silver hair was done up in a ponytail high on top of his head, and two tails flowed down from his back.

"Inutaisho, you would let him go free simply because he is your son!" the woman in green spat. Akira stood and walked to the bar with the sake. The murder of Lady Ai was obviously causing much disruption to his council.

"Father, I do not believe that Inuyasha would have murdered Ai. It is true he did despise love, but as he has found it again, he would not be as rash as to murder her," a silky voice spoke suddenly. It was quiet, to only where he could hear, but it spoke the truth. Akira sighed and turned to the girl, so very beautiful and wearing the best robes of them all.

"Arya, what is it that you see?" he lifted a large hand to cup the woman's chin. She smiled and turned, her long golden robes swaying behind her. She walked out to the front of the bickering elders and raised her hand.

"SILENCE!" she yelled. All became quiet. Inutaisho looked at the girl and smiled. If anyone could save his son from certain death, it would be this woman here. The girl in the green robes smiled as she stared at the daughter of their leader.

"Arya, do not try and save the boy! He has murdered the greatest of all the elders! He has murdered love! This council shall never let him live!" Chaos screamed. He sat on the end garbed in dark purple and blue robes. Swords and weapons lay out on either side of him, blocking contact with the other elders, and tattoos covering every inch of his skin.

"This is a just and right council!" Arya announced in a booming voice like her fathers, the only difference being hers laced in silk. A cheer of approval came from the council, as Inutaisho's face fell. "Would we find a man who loved death and all things bloody guilty of picking flowers?"

"No!" a little girl, no older looking than five, swimming in large pink robes screamed. She was the final elder, well over three thousand years old, with the face of one only five.

"That's right! Does this mean that we would find a man in love guilty of murdering love?" she asked. A resounding no came from most members of the council before they thought. Erinyes glared at her.

"What are you trying to pull little Arya?" she spat. Her eyes became icy blue and then drifted into jealous green, settling and vengeful red.

"Nothing, but tell me which spirit is uncontrollable, even more so than you Erinyes," she slyly said. Erinyes smirked. As did Inutaisho.

"Death."

"And which spirit has been in Ai's company for the better half of this past moon?"

"Death."

"Are you trying to say that Death murdered Ai?" Chaos asked. Arya smiled, and Crono laughed.

"Oh you are a smart one Arya!" he stood and put his arm around her. He stared on at the council, locking eyes with every one of them before turning back to the fair and just leader Akira.

"What shall you have me do Crono?" Akira asked cautiously one last time. Crono laughed and Arya joined in as well.

"Bring us the one that is rumored to have murdered Ai. Bring us this Inuyasha."

With Inuyasha and Kagome

Kagome did not know of Ai's bloody death, and neither did Inuyasha. They were too wrapped up in each other to notice anything before the body faded. Death had not planned for the body to disappear like that.

"Kagome, are you okay now?" Inuyasha brushed away a stray strand of Kagome's hair. Kagome smiled. She turned over underneath Inuyasha's haori and put a hand on his bare chest.

"Yes, I'm much better now," she giggled before scooting in and nibbling on his chin. The only thing covering them was Inuyasha's kimono. The white undercoat on the ground, the red outwear on the top.

"NOT YOU TWO TOO!" Shippo's frantic voice reached their ears, causing Kagome fly into Inuyasha's arms. Inuyasha glared daggers at the runt.

"What do you mean by 'too' Shippo?" Inuyasha asked. Shippo's face became as red as a beat. He turned away and muttered something incomprehensible.

"I mean first Miroku and Sango jump on each other like a couple wild animals, then while I was on my way here, everyone else we saw were kissing and stuff too! It's everywhere!" he yelled.

"You mean everyone's doing this," Inuyasha cocked an eyebrow as he helped Kagome dress. Kagome was far too embarrassed to think.

"Yeah, everyone is doing that! It's all over the place. Confessions of love, humans jumping each other's bones, demons chasing each other. I even ran into Ayame and Koga!" he screamed. Kagome laughed and thought, _At least I don't have to worry about him anymore! _

"Sounds like everyone everywhere fell in love. Could Ai have done that?" Inuyasha asked. Kagome's face fell as she looked at Inuyasha. How did he know?

"Not if she were alive, but if she were to oh say be murdered it could easily be done filthy half breed!" the woman cloaked in brown jumped from a tree and yelled it at the dumbstruck half demon. "Is this why you murdered her? So you could force the girl into mating with you!"

"He didn't force me into anything!" Kagome found her voice and yelled. The woman turned on her and glared with icy blue eyes peering from underneath the hood.

"You stay out of this!" she turned back to Inuyasha and grabbed him by his collar. "You are to come with me! The council of elders wishes to meet with you over Lady Ai's murder." Kagome gasped.

"I'm coming too! I knew her, I want to go," she ran up and stood between Inuyasha and this girl. The girl shrugged and jumped into a tree. They disappeared into the sky and reappeared in a room surrounded by seven people, each wearing a different color.

"Welcome to the Council of the Elders," Akira boomed. Inutaisho looked at his son, then at the human girl that would soon become his daughter.

"Welcome my son," he laughed. His nose could smell what had conspired between the two lovers only moments before. Inuyasha and Kagome gasped.

"Murderer!" Chaos yelled. Erinyes threw a dagger at Inuyasha's head, only to be caught by Crono's fast hand.

"Now Chaos, Erinyes, they are guests. As is Death," he used the dagger to point to the shadows where Death had just arrived. He looked pretty beat up, black eyes and cuts covered him.

"Death, you looked like you got a little to close to Cerberus!" Erinyes laughed. Death shot her a nasty glare and walked over to the sake bar.

"No such thing, that damn Naraku just ambushed me," he poured some sake out of the bottle and into the small cup. He sighed and turned back to the elders. "Got anything stronger than sake?"

"Jack Daniels, knock yourself out," the little girl in pink waved her hand causing a bottle to fall from the sky. Inuyasha and Kagome stared on in wonder, and in Kagome's case pure hatred.

"How dare you show your face around here!" she yelled at Death. He cringed and looked at her.

"I see you broke the spell. Really, Naraku thought he was killing you when all he was doing was bringing you and the dog closer," he cringed and downed half the bottle in one gulp. "Makes me feel all tingly inside when it goes down."

"Explain yourself Death. Why has Ai died? What curse was set upon Lady Kagome?" Arya smiled. She knew not the answer to the first question, but for Kagome's sake she asked the last, although she already knew the answer to that.

"Ai's dead?" his eyes glazed over with an emotion Inuyasha connected with. He had just lost someone he greatly cared for, it was heartbreak. "I suppose Naraku did that."

"Explain," Akira boomed.

"Naraku tried to strike a bargain with me, but when I refused he ambushed me. He had his incarnation Kagura attack me repeatedly while Kanna tried to suck my soul into her mirror. I suppose he took on my form, and what little power he got from Kanna's mirror. He must have killed Ai using that," he stopped and drank the last of the Jack Daniels in one gulp.

"As for Kagome, he put a spell on her to that affected her sleep. It would make her sleepy, and make her sleep last forever. We intervened, Ai and me, and had her doctor in the future, Mr. Tanoshii, tell her she had cancer. We set everything up, hoping like hell it would make it all right. I guess we miscalculated," he sighed and drank the small cup of sake he poured earlier.

"I didn't have cancer?" Kagome asked hesitantly. The council all nodded. She nearly fainted.

"What would be Inuyasha's punishment now, seeing as how you are so determined to kill him for a crime he did not commit," Arya laughed. Crono joined, followed by a few other's before the whole council was in tears.

"He should still be punished," Inutaisho smirked. Inuyasha, who decided to remain silent amidst so many people, slowly backed up a little. Kagome stared on in wonder.

"What will be the crime Inutaisho?" Akira boomed once more, a smile returned to his bearded face. Inutaisho smirked dangerously and waved his hand.

"For bedding a human girl before marrying her," he laughed. The council joined in.

"That's what you get when someone tries to kill me off!" the familiar sweet voice came in from behind the large white doors. Appearing behind Inuyasha and Kagome stood Ai, radiant as ever, a smile on her face and blood stains on her gown.

"I was wondering how long it would take you before you returned," Death grabbed the bottle of sake and downed it all. Ai walked up to Kagome and patted the two love birds on the shoulders. She wiped a tear from her eyes and trotted over to where Death was downing alcohol after alcohol.

"Well, there just had to be enough love in the world again!" she grabbed the bottle and tossed it behind her. In an instant she launched herself on Death and gave him the most passionate kiss of his life, er afterlife.

"What the hell is going on?" Inuyasha finally snapped. Arya walked over to him and placed an arm around the two.

"Ever wonder why every so often there are a lot of babies born in the world really, really fast?" she asked. The two nodded. "That would be because she usually gets killed somehow and has to unleash all of her power to be brought back. The consequences to that are…"

"Inutaisho having a grandbaby!" the little girl in pink squealed.

"A wha-what!" Inuyasha screamed. Inutaisho waited a moment before erupting in laughter. Kagome's face turned ten shades darker than Inuyasha's kimono, as the rest of the council joined in.

"Perhaps it is best to get you home," Arya, arms still draped around the two, pushed them to the back of the room. Behind them, a loud party was beginning as liquor after liquor fell from the sky. "For all the trouble this has caused you, I shall grant you one single wish."

"Um, okay," Kagome looked at Inuyasha and smiled. "You make a wish!"

"Uh…okay," he stuttered. For a minute his face was in deep thought when he walked out of Arya's hold and turned to face the two. "I wish that this could all be done over. That way, Kagome could go through the well again and all the pain caused from this would be erased."

"As you wish it," Arya spoke before Kagome could utter a word. She waved her hands and sent the two flying out the doors. Inutaisho walked up behind her and put an arm on her shoulder.

"So none of this will have ever happened for them?" he asked, somewhat disappointed. Arya shook her head, a mischievous smirk lurking on her face.

"Hmm…last time I checked the rules, _I _am not allowed to kill anyone," she turned. Inutaisho's hand gripped her shoulder slightly and turned her to face him.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean, your overeager son got her pregnant," she smiled. Inutaisho was bewildered, but a hint of great satisfaction danced across his features. He was almost giddy about the idea. "I altered their wish, switched time around a little you may say."

"Explain yourself Arya," he demanded, happiness creeping into his voice. Arya smiled.

"Well, at the moment Kagome's at the doctor's office."

888

"Miss Higurashi, congratulations you don't have cancer!" Doctor Tanoshii smiled. Mrs. H was so happy she hugged her daughter nearly to death. The doctor noticed this and spoke up. "I wouldn't hold on so tightly Mrs. Higurashi, you're daughter is going to have a baby!"

8dun dun dun dun8

"Hey Miroku, what's wrong with Sango?" Shippo innocently asked. Sango was leaning behind a bush puking; she'd been there all day.

"I don't know, she acts likes she's pre…" Miroku stopped. He remembered the events that went on the previous week. He had no idea why, but the sudden urge had hit them both. He gulped. She didn't seem to remember most of it. In fact, none of the group seemed to remember anything that had went on in the past week or so. If Sango remembered though, he would be a dead man before night fall.

"Like she's what Miroku?" Shippo asked again. Shaking, Miroku glanced back to where Sango was.

Inuyasha sitting by a tree not too far away, listened in intently on the conversation. He too remembered the previous week, and had hoped Kagome would forget. He had had a dream about his father the previous night too. Just as he was shutting his eyes, seemingly willing Kagome to forget everything that had conspired between the two, he heard a not so happy voice from behind.

"INUYASHA YOU JERK GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE RIGHT THIS INSTANT!" He froze. She had remembered. Nervously he stood up and began backing away from the voice when another not so pleasant one came from the bushes.

"MIROKU YOU PERVERTED MONK! YOU GOT ME PREGNANT DIDN'T YOU!" Sango screamed. Miroku, pale and shaking, fainted. Inuyasha ran as fast as he could before a barrage of sits plummeted him to the ground. Shippo shrugged and grabbed a hidden lollipop from his kimono.

In the bushes not to far from the group, two pairs of eyes, one pink and one blue, stared on at the two. Laughter bursting forth from the couple listening in on them.

"Oh crap, Ai?" Death asked looking down at his feet. Ai continued looking ahead, laughing her butt off at what SHE had been mainly responsible for causing.

"What sweetie," she sang. Death poked her and pointed to his feet. She nearly gasped at her own.

"You poofed us in Sango's puke. Great Job Ai!"


	13. Epilogue

**A/N: Here is the Epilogue. I hope you guys enjoy it. As a special treat, the poem featured in this chapter—which I have decided to entwine in the chapter like a songfic—was written by yours truly. If ya want to use it, ask me first so that I know you are, and I'd be glad to let you. ENJOY! **

**If you go to my profile, I have links for some artwork I've done. So far I have Ai up, two realistic pictures of Miroku and Kagome, and two canon-ish drawings of Shippo and Inuyasha. Please visit, and if you have a DA account…please comment! Lol! **

**Epilogue: Glimpses of Hell, and the Wedding**

Kagome stared at her reflection in the mirror. She was done up in a beautiful kimono that had belonged to Inuyasha's mother. Her hair, currently being worked on by Ai, was to be done up in the split peach styles that geisha wear. Kagome had not wanted her hair to be done like that, mainly because of the implications it made, but Ai had insisted on it. She only agreed to let her if Ai promised not to use the wax.

"How are you doing in here?" Inutaisho walked in. A month had passed since all the chaos had ensued due to Naraku. Ai and Death had been in charge of explaining to the four travelers exactly what they needed to know. They didn't really know of meeting the council, of Kagome's "illness," or much of anything else. They did know part of the story behind Ai and Death, and partially why Inutaisho was walking around…alive.

"It's going great Dog Man," Ai called out as she put the final touches on Kagome's hair. Kagome stared at it for a moment and smiled.

"Have you worked on what you are going to say today Kagome?" Inutaisho asked as he pushed Ai aside and pulled Kagome's hair down. Ai, growing furious at this, stood tall and was seconds from opening her mouth before she saw what was happening. Inutaisho's hands worked magic on the hair and when he was through, it looked like a masterpiece. Instead of the regular split peach style, it was elaborately done with tendrils of hair coming down like a waterfall while little jewels placed her in hair made it sparkle.

"I figured she'd just go with the usual I love you. That is the most powerful saying of all," Ai smiled as she looked over the hair. Kagome stopped and thought for a minute. _I love you, it just doesn't seem enough._

_**I love you**_

_**We say it for a mess of reasons**_

_**Forgetting the one it was meant for**_

_**Forgetting how to say it right**_

The crowds began to gather, and an odd group of individuals in strange clothing sat in the back. They began to bicker and fuss, scaring away most of the people around them.

A little girl with the group looked up to see and old man holding a cane smiling. Bored out of her mind, she waved her hand and the cane flew from the man's hand. Instead of falling, he began to do a little dance. The other members of this strange group stared on in awe, forgetting they were about to kill each other. The man, fell asleep.

Arya, not at all interested in the man, looked over at the two nervous gentlemen in black at the table. They were fidgeting and looked as if they were trying to figure out what to say. Arya snorted, _I bet they'll just say I love you. _She sighed and waved her hand, causing the sleeping man's cane to fly back into his hand. _I bet they've never even heard it said. _

_**I love you**_

_**Is losing its meaning**_

_**Because we don't know what it means**_

_**Because we've never really heard it**_

Inuyasha was lost in thought. Fidgeting and sweating, he tried to think of something good to say. He wanted to say something with meaning, something that would get his point across. He wanted to tell her, _I'm sorry please forgive me_ and _I've been such an idiot._ He wanted to say so many things at once, but couldn't. No words with enough meaning, not even I love you, would be able to make this right.

Miroku seemed to be having the same problem. Neither of the two men could think of anything that would work. They were lost, upset, and nervous. A gong sounded, and the two nearly wet themselves as two beautiful brides stepped out.

_**I love you**_

_**Is the universal **_

"**_Forgive me for being an idiot"_**

"_**Forgive me for everything"**_

Sango stepped out on one side, hair done up in an elaborate design like flames. No doubt that Inutaisho probably had something to do with it. Death followed behind her, making sure her kimono didn't snag or mess anything up. Two large bumps adorned his head as he mumbled incoherently about moody pregnant demon slayers. He took he seat beside Ai as Sango took hers by Miroku.

Kagome, entering from the other side, with her hair done up in a waterfall was followed by Ai. They both sat down in their seats and waited for the priest, a large man with a booming voice, to take his seat. The priest, who had a striking resemblance to Akira leader of the council of elders, began. The two couples picked up the sake glasses and drank the appropriate amount of times.

"Isn't this beautiful," Ai began to cry into Death's shoulder as the sake glass came to her. Death, rolling his eyes, grabbed it from her and drank first. Before Ai took it from him, she whispered in his ear. "I want a wedding just like this." Ever want to see Death freeze, tell him you want a wedding with over fifty weeping mortals and at least 20 bickering immortals.

_**I love you**_

_**Is so overused **_

_**That it hardly represents what it should**_

_**That the only thing we've left to say is**_

_**I LOVE YOU**_

After drinking the sake, it was their turn to say something special. Sango decided to go first, with her oh-so-heartwarming rendition of I love you, "Miroku, I don't know exactly how this happened or why. I know that I loved you before, and I love you still. But, if I puke one more time, I'm going to murder you in your sleep. Remember, you're going to be right beside me now!" Everyone cringed as Miroku stuttered out a quick I love you, melting the moody slayer's heart. A passionate kiss, and they were through.

Inuyasha, know scared to death, turned to Kagome. "I've been trying for a long time now to figure out someway I could tell you everything I need to tell you, because I love you is not enough. But, I'm a loss for words. I can't tell you everything I want to tell you in such a short time, so forgive me for being so cliché but, I love you Kagome."

"That's all you need to say," Kagome smiled. Tears began to pour from her eyes as she looked at hers and Inuyasha's entwined hands. "These pass few weeks have been crazy, but I suppose it's just what we needed isn't it. Fate works in funny ways, bringing us together for even crazier reasons. It is too cliché, but there's nothing better than I love you."

"Why did we not tell them Arya?" the little girl asked. Arya looked down at her and smiled.

"They did not need to know all of it. I'm not even sure just why things have went they way they did, but we are only the keepers of the peace," Arya laughed. Sango's face turned green. Death, who was still frozen and scared, didn't see the pregnant newlywed bend over and puke all on his clothes. When the smell hit his nose, he snapped out of it and began to scream.

"At least they will have an interesting future," the little girl laughed as she watched Sango chase Miroku around with the Hiraikotsu. "Are we going to fill their heads with other things like we did with that fiasco between Ai and Death?" Kagome and Inuyasha began to try to run interference between the two as Death began twitching uncontrollably.

"Nah," Arya laughed as she waved her hand. Everyone froze except for the immortals who made their way out of the area. "Just consider it punishment for not telling each other how they felt."

"What about Naraku?" Arya got a twisted little smirk on her face as she remembered tying Naraku to a sacred tree and letting the squirrels peck him to death.

"No need to worry about him," she began laughing evilly.

---Meanwhile at some sacred tree---

"AAAAHHHH! MAKE IT STOP! THEIR EATING MY BRAINS!" Naraku began screaming. The squirrels, currently busy gnawing a piece of Miroku's brain, stopped as the leader lowered his self the idiot's eye level.

"Just call it revenge for eating squirrel brains!" he raised a little paw and screamed. In an instant, a thousand squirrels covered Naraku, making him look like one big fuzzy mess. Anyone walking buy would only see a huge fuzzy monster that seemed to have moving skin and screamed a lot.

"Aw…he's like a big screaming man all covered in hair," Kagura laughed maniacally as she and Kohaku enjoyed this show.

"Hey, what ever happened to Sango?"

---With Sango---

"MIROKU STOP RUNNING! GET BACK HERE AND FACE IT LIKE THE PERVERT YOU ARE!" Sango screamed. Miroku ran, Inuyasha and Kagome just tried to keep up with the two as Shippo stayed in the back laughing.

"So, I wonder what their kids are gonna be like," he wondered. Death, still very pissed, placed an image of the future into the little boy's head of a blue haired, dog eared little girl from the future.

---six years from now---

"Oh Shippo, come out come out wherever you are!" the little girl laughed evilly as she dragged a mutilated Shippo plushy behind her. Shippo, cowering in fear and hoping she doesn't have her father's nose, hid in a dark corner trying desperately to hide all the bumps and bruises that the little demon gave him.

"If I knew she was going to be this much like her father, I wouldn't have offered to baby-sit her!" he whispered. Suddenly, the footsteps stopped. Everything seemed a little weird.

"PEEK-A-BOO BIG BROTHER! LET'S PLAY HANGMAN!" she grabbed Shippo by the arm and dragged him out, a noose in the other hand. "You can be the man, and I can be the executioner!"

**_I Love You by Shelby Riddle (yes, that's my pathetic name)_**


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